Cyprus has secured funding worth €3.75 million from the EU for the implementation of the first national quantum communications network in the country, a statement released by the deputy ministry of research on Thursday said.

Quantum communication is a field of applied quantum physics closely related to quantum information processing and quantum teleportation.

Its most interesting application is protecting information channels against eavesdropping by means of quantum cryptography.

Cyprus was able to secure the funding through the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL), a EU funding programme focused on bringing digital technology to businesses, citizens and public administrations.

The EU programme aims to provide strategic funding to answer several challenges, supporting projects in five key capacity areas, namely supercomputing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, advanced digital skills, and ensuring a wide use of digital technologies across economy and society.

Cyprus’ request for funding was presented to the bloc by a consortium led by the department of electronic communications, which is part of the deputy ministry of research, in cooperation with scientists from the European University and the Cyprus University of Technology and representatives of the Telecommunications Authority (ATIK).

The total cost of the planned network development on the island amounts to €7.5 million and will be co-financed equally by the EU programme and by national funds.

The project, called ‘CyQCI’, will create an advanced experimental optical network in Cyprus, based on quantum key distribution (QKD), which will enable highly secure information transfer between the public and academic and industrial end-users in the country.

At the same time, according to the deputy ministry of research, the plan is to interconnect the network with the European quantum communication network, known as EuroQCI, in an EU-wide attempt to develop a quantum-secure, trans-European network.

“The integration of this cutting-edge technology into the existing national communication infrastructure represents a leap forward in the modernisation and digital transformation of the country’s cybersecurity policies,” the statement concluded.